Oakland Home Sales Performance 2006 vs. 2007

February 7th, 2008

This sheet shows a 2006 vs. 2007 year over year comparison of single family homes real estate sales in the better parts of Oakland and the Oakland Hills area of California.

The Components of a Raised Perimeter Foundation

February 6th, 2008

Most homes in the Oakland Hills are built on raised perimeter foundations. When a home inspector or a pest inspector makes an inspection they will often call out terms that don’t mean anything to the average Buyer or Seller. The photo (above) details the components of your foundation from the floorboards down to the dirt […]

Inspection Contingencies

February 5th, 2008

One of the single most important considerations when purchasing a home is knowing the physical condition before you remove your contingencies. The current version of the California purchase contract provides a buyer with an unconditional “OUT” of the contract at any time before they remove their inspection contingency. An inspection contingency time period is for […]

Pest Control Inspections

January 7th, 2008

In our local (Oakland) marketplace Its customary for a Seller to hire a local licensed pest control inspector to perform an inspection of the property before putting it on the market. The term “Pest inspection” conjures up images of bugs. Well, that’s a part of it. A pest inspection is a look at all of […]

What the Heck are Loan Points?

January 5th, 2008

As interest rates go up, more and more Buyers are choosing to pay points to obtain their chosen loans. You may be asking, What the heck are loan points and why would I pay them? Points equate to a fee by the lender. 1 point = 1%. When you pay a point on a loan […]